


Fresh Start

by kikitiki



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-03-18 03:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3554597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikitiki/pseuds/kikitiki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She didn’t have to do it, she told herself even as she was heading towards her destination. She didn’t have to, but she would be glad she did.<br/>When Clarke’s roommate asks her to pick up her boyfriend’s little sister from the airport, Clarke complies, but what she doesn’t know is what this one little favor will do for her, and the people around her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Favor

She knew she didn’t have to do it, she told herself even as she was heading towards her destination. She thought back to an hour ago when she last spoke to her roommate. “Why can’t you do it Roma? He’s your boyfriend.”  
Roma sat on the couch painting her toenails. Because I forgot, and I’d have to leave now, and I just started doing my nails.”  
Clarke rolled her eyes. This was typical Roma. She wondered how she managed to get anyone to like her when she was so preoccupied with herself. “And why can’t your boyfriend pick her up?”  
Roma sighed in exasperation. “Because her flight lands in an hour and a half. The airport is an hour and a half away. He doesn’t get off, for an hour. You able to do the math Clarke?”  
Clarke sighed. She didn’t want the poor girl to be left with Roma for an hour and a half when she was in this mood. “Alright, I’ll do it.” She wanted to tack on and you owe me, but she knew Roma wouldn’t even say thank you.  
So that was how she was now in her 67 Nova convertible over an hour out of town picking up someone she had never met, in sweatpants and an old sweatshirt of her father’s.   
Finally, she made it to the airport. It was the middle of the night, and only a few stragglers remained. She didn’t know what the girl looked like, or even her name, but when she saw a girl with long, brown hair bouncing on the balls of her feet, she took a chance. She left the car running and walked over.   
The girl looked up. “You’re not Roma.”  
Clarke shook her head. “I’m her roommate, Clarke. Roma was… otherwise detained.”  
The girl snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure. What, was she brushing her hair?”  
Clarke chuckled. “Painting her toes.”   
“Figures. Roma’s a self-centered bitch.” She suddenly remembered who she was talking to. “Sorry, I didn’t-“  
“Relax, she’s my roommate, not my friend. I’ll get your bags.”  
The girl smiled, and put out a hand. “Octavia.”  
“It’s nice to meet you Octavia. You ready to head out?”  
She and Octavia began the long drive home. Clarke kept the top down, the humid air too much to handle. She made idle conversation with Octavia. “So, what brings you to town?”  
“Well, I just finished my senior year at Mount Weather, this boarding school up in Maine, and I’m home for the summer. Then I start up at Ark University, here in town.”  
“That’s where Roma and I go. I’m starting my sophomore year, she’s starting her junior.”  
“That’s where Bellamy met Roma. He’s starting his senior year.”  
Clarke smiled thoughtfully. “So that’s his name.”  
Octavia turned to look at her. “Roma never even told you his name?”  
Clarke laughed. “The only reason I knew she had a boyfriend was because she was gone all the time.”  
Suddenly Octavia’s phone lit up. “Speak of the devil. Hi Bell…. Yes I’m fine…. Roma’s roommate got me… No she’s not an axe murderer, she’s very nice. Unlike Roma… Bell, she’s a self-obsessed narcissist who only cares about herself. I guess opposites attract… Yes, she’s dropping me off at the house… If you want…. Okay see you soon Bell.”  
Clarke looked over quickly before returning her attention to the road. “Everything okay?”  
“Yeah, Bell’s just super protective. He’s pissed at Roma. I think I can say with certainty that that relationship has run its course. He also wants to meet you. Probably even thank you.”  
“Ah, I see.”  
Octavia sighed. “This is a pretty sweet ride. Where’d you get it?”  
Clarke hesitated, but replied. “It’s my dad’s. Or… It was.”  
Octavia’s face fell. “God, I’m sorry Clarke. I know what that’s like. My mom died when I was younger. Dad’s never been around. What about your mom?”  
She snorted. “Probably at some penthouse in New York telling all her friend’s that I’m doing wonderful in the pre-med program at NYU.”  
Octavia laughed nervously. “I’m guessing the truth is a little bit different.”  
Clarke nodded. They finished the journey in a comfortable silence, both exhausted from the day’s events. Finally they pulled up in front of the Blake residence. It was a relatively small house, but it looked cozy. Clarke went to grab the bags, but Octavia assured her that Bellamy would grab them.   
Octavia went up to the door, and walked in. “Big brother!”  
Almost instantly a tall figure brought Octavia into his arms. “O, it’s so good to see you! Your room is exactly how you left it.”  
“A mess?”   
Bellamy smiled at her. “A disaster.” He looked over to Clarke, who was taking in the room around her. “I assume this is your white knight?”  
Octavia pulled away from her brother and dragged Clarke to meet him. “Bell, this is Clarke.”  
He put a hand out. “Sorry your roommate’s a flake.”  
She took his hand. “Sorry your girlfriend is unreliable.”  
They stayed there, hands clasped, staring at each other. She watched the way his brown eyes peered at her, the way his tan skin contrasted her pale skin, in an almost beautiful way. She shook her thoughts away and released his hand. “I’ll help you get Octavia’s bags, and then I should probably be on my way. It was nice meeting you guys.”  
Octavia hugged her. “Thanks Clarke! Do you wanna grab coffee tomorrow?”  
Clarke smiled. “I’d love that.” She turned to Bellamy. “You ready?”  
Bellamy nodded. They walked back out to the car. Bellamy reached in to grab the bags. “So, I had my friend Miller look you up.”  
Clarke’s attention darted over to him. “You what?”  
“Miller’s a cop. I wanted to make sure you were-“  
Clarke was all of the sudden angry. “You had no right!”  
Bellamy scoffed. “Please, as soon as I saw who you were I had no reason to worry. New York’s poor, little, rich girl. What are you doing slumming it in Ark?”  
Clarke glared at him. “It’s none of your business. I’ll be leaving now.”  
Bellamy sighed. “Look, thanks for getting her home.”  
Clarke snorted. “I didn’t do it for you. Or Roma. I did it for her. Growing up with money doesn’t mean I don’t have a heart. Goodnight Blake.”  
Bellamy gave her a condescending smile. “Goodnight Princess.”  
Clarke seethed as she drove back to her apartment. She had a feeling that she would be getting to know the Blake siblings more than she wanted. She also had a feeling that the name was going to stick.


	2. Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke has to make new arrangements.

Bellamy and Roma broke up the next day. She wasn’t too broken up, seeing as a guy named Murphy came by a few hours after Octavia texted Clarke with the news. Roma also kicked Clarke out that afternoon. She was surprised, but not wrecked about it. She almost didn’t tell Octavia when she met her for coffee, but the girl sensed something was wrong.   
“Oh my god, Clarke, I’m sorry!”  
Clarke sipped at her coffee, black two sugars. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I was already looking for something closer to school. I’ll probably stay at a hotel tonight. Figure something out tomorrow.” She could see Octavia eyeing her. “What? I’m not really a people-person. I haven’t made a ton of friends.”  
“It’s not that Clarke. I’ve got an extra room! We’re walking distance from the college. Bell and I have been looking for a roommate for ages! Monty and Jasper do too much illegal shit that when Miller would come over, he’d probably have to arrest them. Harper and Fox just moved in together, so they’re out. Ohmygosh you have to meet them all! And Bellamy hates strangers. You’re not a stranger!”  
Clarke thought about how Bellamy had treated her. “I don’t know. Bellamy doesn’t really like me.”  
Octavia scowled. “What did he say to you? God, he ruins everything.”  
Clarke sighed. “He wasn’t all the way over the line. He found out I come from money and-“  
“Miller! I’m going to kill both of them. Look, Bell will come around. Please? It’d be nice to have another girl in the house.”  
Clarke looked at her. She was nice, and Bellamy was… well she didn’t know. But maybe she wanted to. She smiled. “Deal. I’ve got all my stuff in the storage unit of the apartment. I don’t think it’ll make it in one trip.”  
Octavia visibly brightened. “I’ve got Bell’s truck. This is gonna be so great! Let’s go get your stuff!”  
An hour later, they were back at the house with a truck full of boxes. They put all the stuff in the empty room, and collapsed on the bed, exhausted. Clarke looked at her father’s watch, hanging loosely on her wrist. She moaned. “I have to get ready for work.”  
Octavia looked over at her intrigued. “Where do you work?”  
“Days. Art gallery in the museum. Nights. Hostess at the Exodus, that space-themed diner downtown. I actually can’t wait for classes to start so I get a little variation.”  
“No way! Bell works at Grounders, the bar across the street.”  
Clarke laughed. “Wow. Small world.” She hesitated. “How old is Bellamy? He doesn’t look like he should be heading into his senior year of undergrad.”  
Octavia shrugged. “24. He took a couple years off before starting at the college. He had to raise me, and boarding school cost a lot. We knew I was on the waiting list, and the scholarships only covered so much, so he got two jobs, I got another and we saved.”  
“Ah.”  
“What about you Clarke? Why do you have two jobs? If you come from money…” The girl drifted off, not sure of how to continue.  
“My mom and I don’t get along. I don’t accept money from her, I get to live my life with little interference. Anyway I gotta run! I’ll be in late, so don’t wait up.”  
Octavia jumped off the bed after her. “Clarke if Bell knew-“  
Clarke spun around and smiled. “O, it’s fine. I’m good with what I’m doing. You don’t have to bring it up. If he wants to mock me for a little while, let him.”  
Octavia gave her a small smile. “Okay… Bell get’s off late too, I hope you beat him home, so we can break the news together.”  
Clarke groaned. “I’m hoping for the exact opposite.”   
Work flew by, and soon Clarke was in the car, pulling up to her new residence. She looked at the driveway, and dread filled her as she saw Bellamy’s truck. She mustered up her courage as she snuck into the house. She could hear screaming coming from the kitchen, and looked longingly at the stairs that would mean her escape. But she decided to see if the arguing diminished any time soon.  
“Bell this is my house too!”  
“She’s not staying here!”  
“Why the hell do you have a problem with her? She drove all the way in the middle of the night to come get me when your girlfriend couldn’t even get off the damn couch!”  
“Ex. Look, she’s not like us O. She grew up eating out of a fucking silver spoon, and now she’s here. Sooner or later she’s gonna grow tired of this little social experiment, and I’m saving you the pain.”  
“Bellamy you’re such a-“  
Clarke interrupted. “I’ll pay half the rent.”  
The siblings looked over to her. Bellamy had a look of contempt, Octavia, one of exhaustion. “Clarke, you don’t-“  
“No, O, it’s okay. Bellamy here clearly seems stuck on all this money I have at my apparent disposal, so I’ll pay half the rent, instead of the third Octavia and I talked about. And I’ll cover cable.”  
Bellamy grunted in thought. He wasn’t gonna get a deal like that from anywhere else. “You got yourself a deal Princess.”  
Clarke sighed. “Whatever, I’m going to my room. See you guys in the morning.”  
Octavia ran after her. “You don’t have to do this just to prove a point Clarke. Can you even cover that?”  
Clarke smiled tiredly. “I’ll manage.” She trudged up the stairs into her room. The boxes still sat scattered all over, and she decided she might as well unpack since she wasn’t working at the museum or the diner tomorrow. She started with the clothes, organizing them to the best of her ability. When she got to the photos, her heart sank.   
She looked at all the painful memories that she had kept in the box even when she lived with Roma. First was a picture of her and her dad, when she had “graduated” kindergarten. He never made it to her real one. She started to cry a little bit. “I’m trying dad. I miss you so much, and mom…. I can’t do it. I can’t find peace like you wanted.”   
She bit her lip. The next was a photo of her and her childhood friend, Wells. He had died not long after her dad. “Why’d you have to go and get sick?” She said it shakily.  
She wiped her eyes and packed up the photos. It wasn’t time. She finished unpacking and crawled into bed. Tomorrow was going to be hard enough, having to be home with Bellamy all day. Once school started in a week, she would never be home. Instead of counting sheep that night, she counted the minutes until the beginning of the end of her college career.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how frequently I'll add. Whenever I'm inspired I guess.


	3. Run-In With the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy Blake has a soft spot for weepy, drunk girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to fix the formatting. Not sure if it's any better.

The next day, Octavia decided they should celebrate her moving in. But it was what she suggested that made her hesitant. She wanted to go to Grounders, while Bellamy was working. “Octavia that is the worst idea I have ever heard.”

“Relax Clarke, I go all the time when he’s working, he never notices. Especially when you get guys to buy drinks for you.” She winked. “Plus it’s the only club in town!”

She knew she knew Octavia wouldn’t take no for an answer. She also insisted that Clarke wear on of her dresses since all hers were ‘boring.’

She let Octavia do her hair and makeup, since she wasn’t really an expert on it, and almost let her jaw drop. She looked like a completely different person.

She reached her breaking point when the dress barely covered her cleavage.

“That’s the point Clarke! Do you want free drinks or not?”

With a groan, they walked out the door.

They took a cab to Grounders, and were immediately ushered into the building. Octavia winked at the bouncer. “Thanks Atom.”

He smiled back. “Anytime O. Just don’t let your brother catch you, or I’m the one getting punched.”

Octavia laughed as she pulled Clarke into the dark building. “Is there something going on between you two?”

Octavia snorted. “God no! why would I ruin what a sweet deal I have.”

Clarke rolled her eyes. Octavia led her to a group of people in the back. She finally met Octavia’s friends. There was Jasper and Maya, the epitome of lovebirds, Monty, Harper, Fox, and a few others who she couldn’t remember. They were all awesome. Soon Octavia left with some tall guy named Lincoln, and left her in their hands. She was in the midst of a friendly argument over the school’s best lunch spot, when she felt a tap on the shoulder.

“Clarke?”

Her stomach dropped as she recognized the voice, and all the alcohol she had consumed throughout the night threatened to come back up. She spun around. “Raven, hi…”

The other girl smiled, something she had never done towards Clarke. “Relax, I’m not her to scream at you. I just saw you and thought I should… say my peace.”

Clarke looked back to her new friends who were watching her, some with curiosity, but some with a fierce protectiveness that made her feel warm. She turned back to Raven. “Okay…”

Raven took in a deep breath. “I forgive you. Well that’s not true, because you did nothing wrong in the first place, so there’s nothing to forgive. Finn fucked us both over, and I should have never taken it out on you. I want us to be friends Clarke. Is… is that okay?”

Clarke let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. “I’d really like that Raven. Thanks.”

Raven looked over to the club entrance. “Speak of the fucking devil…”

Clarke looked to the entrance and saw none other than Finn Collins walking in. “Crap…”

Raven cursed a little bit more. “Alright, well I’m gonna go grab Wick, my new none-asshole boyfriend, and rub it in Finn’s face all night. We should hang out soon okay?”

Clarke smiled. “Okay.”

As soon as Raven left, Clarke made a beeline for the bar. She hadn’t seen Bellamy, so she assumed it would be safe. She ordered another drink, as she stumbled over to the stool. She hadn’t realized she’d had so much to drink already. She made herself as small as possible, but of course he found her.

“Clarke!”

She groaned. “Everyone has to stop saying that!” She turned the stool to face him. “What the hell could you possibly want?” Her voice dripped with anger.

“I-“

“What? You saw that Raven was spoken for, and thought maybe I’d be a good bet? Fuck off.”

“Clarke I-“

“I think the lady said to fuck off.”

Clarke looked behind the bar and saw Bellamy glaring at Finn.

“This isn’t your business man.”

Bellamy gave him a condescending smile. “It is my business when you’re upsetting my housemate who is already unpleasant as it is.”

Clarke needed to get out of there. “How ‘bout you both just leave me alone!”

She started towards the door with bravado, but it faded as her mind went fuzzy. She felt a pair of arms grip her, and she was about to fling obscenities at them when she saw that it was Bellamy. He brought his mouth to her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “Let’s get you home.”

He got her to the truck, and she started to object. “You’re in the middle of work I can-“

“Relax Clarke, I wasn’t scheduled. Just keeping an eye on O.”

As he helped her into the car she looked at him incredulously. “You knew she was there?”

He scoffed. “Of course. Atom keeps me informed. I make sure the drinks are a little diluted, and she’s not going home with axe murderers.”

“And you know Lincoln isn’t an axe murderer?”

He shrugged. “He’s alright. I can’t control her completely.”

Once he started the car, he looked over at her. “All set Princess?”

The anger was back. “Stop calling me that! You don’t know a damn thing about me okay?”

Bellamy turned cold. “Whatever.”

There was silence in the car after that. Clarke couldn’t help thinking about Finn, something she hadn’t done in a long time. “God, I’m so fucking stupid.”

Bellamy chuckled. “I’m not gonna disagree with you.”

She wanted to give some witty retort, but instead she started to cry.

Bellamy suddenly felt guilty. “Look, we’re almost home. I’ll make you some tea, and you can talk if you want okay?”

Clarke looked over. “Bellamy Blake has a soft spot for weepy, drunk girls?”

Bellamy rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

When they got home, she changed while he made tea. After, they settled onto the couch facing each other. “So… he broke my heart.”

“I gathered.”

She glared. She was still intoxicated, but not as much so as she had been. “I met him last year, and he was… Finn. Sweet, charming… the whole shebang. We did everything together.” She started babbling, letting the words flow freely, and forgetting for a moment who she was talking to. “I told him all my shit. How my dad died, how my mom pushed me to be pre-med like her, and go to NYU, but instead I came here to study art. How I never once took money from her after I moved out. Even when I was living out of my car for a month before the museum finally hired me. I told him about how my best friend died while I was still grieving for my dad. I told him everything. I… gave him everything.”

She hoped that got the point across. “Sorry, overshare. Anyway, one day I was over at his dorm, and this girl walks in, and takes one look at us and starts screaming. Raven Reyes. Finn’s girlfriend of five years! She was going to come here with him, but got in a car accident. Barely has use of one of her legs, and here he is with me!” She didn’t… couldn’t say anything more.

“So now you know, that this _princess_ has fallen very far from her pedestal. I’m… I’m going to bed. Sorry for all that. It’s not your problem.”

She got up from the couch and made it halfway up the stairs when he spoke. “You took two jobs to prove to your mother you could be independent?” She nodded. “I think we need to renegotiate your rent.”

She laughed. “It’s fine. Work doesn’t bother me.”

“I’m still going to call you Princess.”

Clarke thought for a moment. “It doesn’t sound like such a bad thing anymore.” She went up the rest of the stairs, and into her room. She flopped on the bed, and closed her eyes. She smiled. Bellamy Blake could be… nice.


	4. Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy continues to surprise Clarke.

Clarke woke up with a massive headache the next morning. She remembered almost everything, even her deep conversation with Bellamy, which is why she wasn’t surprised when she saw a painkiller and a glass of water next to her bed. She leaned over and took the pill, then went to her phone. She had 10 new messages.

5 from Finn

_Is that really the kind of company you keep now Clarke?_

_I’m sorry, I want to make this work._

_Clarke please, I love you._

_Clarke?_

_Whatever_

She rolled her eyes.

3 from Octavia

_Clarke! I have so much to tell you!_

_About Lincoln sorry! I’m going to be home late tonight. We’re spending the day together._

_I trust you’ll break the news to Bell for me._

Clarke’s eyes widened. She would not be the one to tell him his sister was spending the day with someone she met yesterday.

1 from the devil himself.

_Good morning Princess, or it’s probably afternoon by the time you wake up. I’m out getting your car fixed. Someone broke the window. Don’t worry you can pay me back later. See you soon._

Clarke groaned at the news, but then immediately smiled afterwards. “Bellamy Blake doing something helpful…”

She froze as she saw who the last message was from.

1 from Mom.

_Hello Clarke, I trust you’ll be here Friday after schedule pick-up. Yes, I looked it up. The memorial is on Saturday, and I expect you to stay through Sunday. We’ll be having brunch with Thelonius. Call me when you’ve made the plans. I’ll wire you money for a train ticket._

As she finished, there was a knock on her door. “Come in,” she croaked as she sat up.

Bellamy rushed through the door. “Hey Princess is O back yet? She’s not responding to- Clarke?” He watched as her face crumpled. “What’s wrong?”

Clarke sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Octavia’s still with Lincoln. She’s been texting me she’s fine.”

He tensed. “Ok… I’ll deal with her later. What’s going on with you?”

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it Bellamy, I think you’ve been nice to enough in the past day to last a life time.”

He sighed and walked to her be. He sat down by her feet. “I think I can stand a few more minutes.”

She laughed. “Well, I have to go home this weekend. I forgot it was…” Her face fell. “It’s the three-year anniversary of my dad…”

He understood. “I’m sorry.”

“Sixteen-years old, and I was absolutely terrified. I had Wells, my best friend through it all. It was the day before his eighteenth birthday.”

“Well at least you had someone.”

She started to tear up. “A month later he died of cancer.”

Bellamy looked up at her, eyes-wide. “Clarke-“

“I wasn’t kidding when I said far from the pedestal huh?”

He didn’t speak, just reached over and pulled her into his arms. “Clarke, I’m so sorry. I-“

She pulled away. “No, it’s fine. It’s just that my mom’s making us have brunch with Wells’ father, so it’s just gonna be a really sucky weekend. The memorial, the brunch, and of course all the ‘I’m wasting my talents’ lectures. Oh and when I tell her what happened with Finn? That’s gonna be a field day. She loved him, but as soon as she hears what he did, she’s going to tell me how I should have been focused on studying or if I went to NYU like she wanted, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“I’m sure she won’t be that awful.”

Clarke gave him a look that said you’d understand if you met her. “She wants me to take the train to New York, so I’m trapped, and can’t leave whenever I want. I think I’m just going to drive. Thank you by the way, for getting my car fixed. I’ll give you the cash whenever.”

He smiled. “How about you pay for cable this month and we’ll call it even.”

“But I’m already doing that!”

They looked at each other a moment before Bellamy spoke. “That’s a long drive to do alone.”

Clarke shrugged. “I’ve done it before. Lots of coffee and good music.”

He hesitated. “I could… I could go with you. I mean if you wanted me to.”

Her eyes widened. “Why- No, I couldn’t do that to you. My mom would have  field day insulting you, Thelonius would hate you automatically because he always thought Wells and I would get together. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

“C’mon Princess, It’ll be fun.”

In that moment she hated the nickname all over again. Because now, he didn’t say it with contempt or disdain. It almost sounded like admiration. And that was worse, because that would mean he might have feelings for her. And that would mean she would have to admit, that she might have feelings for him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, It's short. Wrote it in between work.


	5. Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke is unsure where she stands with Bellamy. But frankly, so is he.

She accepted his offer, and they planned it all out. They would take his truck, and they would take turns driving. She had called her mom to tell her that she was bringing a friend, and tuned out her mother’s arguing about it being a family function.

The beginning of the week passed rather quickly, working almost nonstop. It was the Wednesday night or rather Thursday morning before she had to leave, and she was working at diner. She looked at her watch. It was only 1am. Her shift ended at five, and then she went home for two hours, and then to the gallery. Thankfully, she was able to get the entire rest of the week off. Both her bosses were extremely understanding of her situation.

She kept looking out the window towards the bar, Bellamy was currently making drinks in. It closed at 2, and he would probably spend another hour doing inventory. Then, like he did the first three mornings of the week, he would come over to the diner, order a black coffee, and two big stacks of pancakes, assuring her he would eat them all, then when her shift was over, insist she help him.

He knew she didn’t eat all that much. He assumed it was the bust schedule, but quickly realized it was a nervous habit. She never realized how hungry she was until she took a bite.

So imagine her surprise when Bellamy didn’t show up after his shift. But he also didn’t leave the bar. She would have seen him.

At five she clocked out, and walked over to the bar, not caring that she was still in her waitress uniform. She walked past the alley and saw that his truck was there. That in itself was odd, because he, like she did, usually walked. If their schedules coincided, they would walk together, but tonight, they hadn’t.

She lightly pushed on the door, surprised when it was unlocked. She sighed before she pushed it all the way open. She looked around her. All the chairs were stacked on the tables, and it all looked closed. But the door to the supply closet was open and a light was on. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked towards it.

When she walked through the doorway, she wished she had just gone home. Because there was Bellamy, entangled with a tall, thin girl with blonde hair. One Clarke recognized from school. Apparently the girl recognized her, because as soon as she saw her she slightly disentangled from Bellamy. “Oh Hi. Clarke right?”

Clarke could only nod, as Bellamy turned and looked at her. He looked shocked, guilty, and annoyed all at once. She finally found the courage to speak. “Hi Echo. Sorry, I just thought Bellamy would meet me at the diner. Clearly he was a little… preoccupied. She knew if she kept speaking, her voice would betray her. But she had to say good bye.

 “Well, I gotta run. Have to be at the gallery at 7. See you guys later!” She said the last part a little too cheerily, and spun around, practically running out the door. She didn’t stop running until she reached the front of her house. Their house. She ran up to the shower, and turned on the water to a scalding temperature.

She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Bellamy wasn’t hers. He never would be. He was just being kind and taking pity on the poor, little, rich girl.

 

 

Bellamy cursed as he put his shirt back on. He wanted to run after her, but of course that would have led to having to confront his feelings for Clarke.

He didn’t know why he started to kiss Echo. Maybe it was because she was there, and he was terrified of his feelings for Clarke. Or maybe he was the asshole Clarke had first thought him to be.

Echo had left, understanding the moment was over. He knew it was wrong. All he could think about was Clarke at the diner, probably already putting his order in, waiting. He sighed as he slammed the door to his truck.

He pulled out his phone and saw a text from Octavia. She was never up this early.

_Something wrong with Clarke. Been in the shower forever. Maybe she’s dead. Help?_

Bellamy cursed once more as he started his truck. He made it to the house in one piece, deciding to tell Clarke how he felt.

He bound up the stairs two at a time, and stopped outside the bathroom. The shower was off, but he heard movement inside. He knocked. “Clarke I-“

She swung the door open, looking up at him evenly. “Have you packed yet?”

“I-“

“Because I’d like to see what you packed. Make sure my mom has as little to knit-pick as possible.”

“Oh, Okay.”

She tilted her head. “You’re still going right? I mean I’d invite Echo to come, but close quarters and all.”

“Of course. I promised. And Echo-“

She smiled tightly. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not an issue. Why would it be?”

He deflated. “I guess it’s not.”

“Great.” She walked to her room, and slammed the door. It was an issue. But that was all he needed. To know it bugged her. That gave him hope that maybe they shared feelings. Now he just hoped he hadn’t pushed her away.

The moment was so intense, he didn’t even have time to appreciate Clarke Griffin wearing only a towel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, the long isolated drive to talk is next!


	6. Painted Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy makes it to the Griffin house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!

They had been driving for 40 minutes in complete silence. She had cursed a bit about how her schedule would mean changing her work schedule, but then popped in her head phones, and started sketching.

Bellamy looked at the clock and sighed. It was only 4pm and they wouldn’t be in New York until a little after 10pm.

After another two hours of silence, he couldn’t take it. He stopped at a diner off the highway. She looked up from her sketch, and quickly closed the book. She took out her headphones. “Oh good, I’m starving.”

Bellamy sighed. “I wouldn’t know. You haven’t said anything for hours.”

She shrugged. “Nothing to say.”

They walked into the diner, and were sat at a booth in the back. Bellamy ordered a coffee, and Clarke got a cherry coke.

They stared at the menus in silence, and it was just about all the silence Bellamy could take. “I’m sorry okay?”

She continued to look at the menu. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“It didn’t mean anything.”

She looked up at that. “Then why’d you do it?”

He sat back and shrugged. “She was there, and she wanted me, and I thought it would make things better.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And things needed to be better?”

He sighed. “Honestly? No. I like how things are. I like walking home with you, and making sure you’re eating, and seeing what a good influence you are on O. I-“

The moment was broken when the waitress came by. “You two ready?”

Clarke smiled at Bellamy. “Two stacks of pancakes please. One blueberry, one chocolate chip.”

Bellamy nodded. “Making up for lost time?”

“You owe me pancakes.”

 

When they were back on the road, Clarke continued sketching. But this time, she didn’t put headphones in. She had offered to drive, but Bellamy just shook his head and got in the driver’s side. “You should finish your sketch,” he had said.

So she was. Bellamy looked over to it every so often, but she had it tilted for better light, and he couldn’t see it. “What are you drawing?”

She sighed. “My dad.”

Bellamy’s hands tightened on the wheel. “Oh.”

“I’m gonna give it to my mom. Show her I’m not wasting my time at school. I don’t know. I drew Wells for Thelonious last year. He actually hugged me.”

They kept light conversation after that. Clarke telling him about all the ridiculous things she had to paint in her Abstract class, him telling her about the Greek gods, and all his favorite legends.

Before they knew it, they had reached Abby’s house. Bellamy was surprised. It wasn’t as fancy as he would have imagined. Clarke seemed to sense this. “My dad built it from the ground up. My mom doesn’t stay her. She’s got a penthouse in New York, but I think she knows I’d never speak to her again if she sold it.”

Clarke saw that Abby’s car wasn’t in the driveway. She sighed. “Must be held up in the city.”

They walked up to the front door, and Clarke pulled out a key. She pushed open the door.

She slowly walked through the house, looking at everything, taking in every detail. Bellamy did the same. He saw artwork Clarke must have done from kindergarten all the way to high school. He saw etches on a doorway that marked Clarke’s height through the years. Pictures of her and her father, her and Wells. He took it all in as he followed her up the stairs.

When they walked into her room, he could immediately tell. Instead of wallpaper, the walls were littered with her sketches. Old art supplies were scattered in the most random places. A few medical textbooks sat shoved in the corner of the room, probably a present from her mom that were never used.

She set her bag on her bed and spun around. “Okay, let me show you to the guest room.”

She went straight across the hall to the door directly in front of hers. She pushed it open, and Bellamy’s breath caught in his throat. Each wall and the ceiling had a different mural on it. Directly ahead of him, he saw a forest, made of brilliant greens, and rich browns. To the left the ocean practically spilled off the water, threatening to drown him. To his right, he saw the sky, a castle floating on a cloud, with a prince and princess that resembled Wells and Clarke. He turned around and saw small individual pieces. Ivy framing the door, a sunset, and other small things. And then Bellamy looked up. He saw space. But these were not the planets he had learned about. They were new, bright, beautiful spheres of color, galaxies, stars.

Clarke smiled at him. “Back when Thelonious travelled for weeks at a time, Wells would stay with us. He said that it was the most boring room he had ever seen. So when he went to camp for two weeks one summer, My dad and I did this. If it’s too much, we’ve got another-“

“No! No, it’s beautiful.” He planned on looking at every little detail when he went to bed.

“Wait til you see this.”

She shut off the lights, And Bellamy let out an audible gasp. Clarke had used glow in the dark paint to accent each piece. The forest had fireflies, the ocean, glowing starfish, the sky, slivers of light in the clouds. Every single star in the sky glowed dimly, nothing to overpowering.

Clarke chuckled. “Wells was afraid of the dark as a kid.”

Bellamy returned the laugh. He turned to look at her. She had a light in her eyes. One he hadn’t seen when talking about her dad or Wells. This was a happy memory. One not even death could cloud. She caught his stare and held it for a minute.

After a moment she yawned, and Bellamy chuckled. “We should probably get to bed. Long day tomorrow.”

Her mouth curved down slightly. “Yeah. Long day.”

He put a hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right next to you every step.”

She leaned into his arm. “I know you will. Goodnight Bell.”

He smiled at the nickname. “Goodnight Clarke.”

After she left, he changed into sweats, and flopped down on the bed. He let exhaustion take him over, and fell asleep. Tomorrow, he met the famous Abby Griffin.


	7. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy meets Abby

Bellamy woke up early even by his standards. The sun was just barely coming through the window. He wanted to go back to sleep, but the seriousness of today’s events made him too alert. So, he decided to head downstairs in search of coffee.

He shouldn’t have been at all surprised to find Abby already in the kitchen, but he was. He figured she’d want to get the jump on Clarke. He didn’t even make it all the way down the steps before she addressed him. “So I see when I told Clarke that this was a family affair, she didn’t listen.”

He shrugged. “She needed me, so I came.”

Abby smiled coldly at that, and continued cooking. “Have you and my daughter been together long?”

Bellamy decided to start doing the dishes in the sink to give his hands something to do. “It’s not like that. She’s my roommate. And friend.”

“I thought she was living with that girl, Rhonda, Rachel…”

Bellamy chuckled. “Roma. No, that ended recently.”

“Is Clarke still trying the whole starving artist thing? I feel like this may be the year she finally starts thinking straight-“

Bellamy couldn’t handle the way she talked about Clarke’s passion. He dropped the dish he was working on and turned to face Abby. “Clarke is good. Really good. And this whole thing you think is just a phase, is her dream. I haven’t known her very long, but watching her draw, you can just tell she loves it by the light in her eyes. And you know to support this phase, she works two jobs? Some days she goes straight from one to the next and then back to the first. So if you think she lacks conviction, think again.”

Abby was silent for a second. And then with a small voice, “I worry about her all the time. She hasn’t been the same since Jake… and then Wells. I wanted to believe that she needed time, and then she’d come home to me.”

“Well, she’d come home a lot more often if you accepted that this is her life now.”

Abby looked up at him. “So… she’s okay?”

Bellamy nodded. “She’s more than okay. She’s happy.”

“I had to go to her to meet him you know.”

“What?”

Abby grinned like she knew a secret. “Clarke never brought Finn home. I had to visit her to meet him. I know what he did to. I know the Reyes girl’s mother. She’s a nurse at the hospital I work at. Gossips like you wouldn’t believe. I think I liked him because he made her seem more grounded.”

“And now?”

“Total dick.”

They laughed over their shared dislike of Finn, and the tension completely melted. Until Clarke walked in. She went completely rigid at the sight of her mother. “Hi mom.”

Bellamy walked over to Abby and whispered, “I’ll take over here.”

Abby nodded and muttered a quick thank you and walked to Clarke. “Honey, I want to give you something. Wait right here.”

Clarke looked suspicious as Abby walked into another room. She glanced over to Bellamy accusingly, who just shrugged.

Abby returned with a large thin object, wrapped up in pristine paper. “I got this for you a long time ago, but I think I can finally give it to you without any reservations.”

Clarke took the package warily, and sat down at the table. She carefully ripped the paper and gasped at what she saw. It was a sketchbook, bound in leather with her name embossed in gold on the front. “Mom…”

Abby started to tear up. “I know it’s not really your style, a bit extravagant, but I just want you to know that I know you’re not coming back home, I know you’re happy where you are. I was always worried about you wasting your potential, but you’re a Griffin. You’ve got potential wherever you look for it. I want to be in your life and I know I can’t do that if I don’t accept that you’ve changed. I accept it now, and I can start to see it may be for the better.”

Now it was Clarke’s turn to tear up. She set the sketchbook down and hugged her mother, something Bellamy realized was long overdue. “Mom, I love you so much. I miss you every day.”

“I miss you too baby, I miss you too.”

 

After Clarke and her mother talked a bit, and they all ate, everyone went to their respective rooms to change. Bellamy was halfway through buttoning his shirt when he heard a soft knock. “Come in.”

Clarke opened the door, and her appearance made him pause. She was wearing a black dress that went mid-thigh, and a loose grey sweater thrown on over. Her hair was in her signature braid, and she had on minimal makeup, and Bellamy thought it suited her just fine. “You… like nice.”

She smiled. “Thanks.” She paused a moment before continuing. “And thank you for whatever you said to my mom. I’m not gonna ask because I’m just happy we’ve resolved most of the problems.” She walked over to him and without hesitation gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and walked out without another word.

Bellamy wished he had time to react, because he would have made her stay, and kiss him some more, but then again, he didn’t know if he wanted to be that involved with the storm that is Clarke Griffin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am alive! Sorry I've been crazy busy, but hopefully I'll have more time to write. I've got a lot planned. Obviously the memorial and the brunch, I want to make Raven a more permanent fixture as well as Lincoln, and introduce Wick, and maybe a few more minor characters! I guess we'll see where it goes.


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